North Korea executes Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song Thaek for 'attempting to overthrow the state'

Updated
Fri 13 Dec 2013, 10:44 AM AEDT

Photo

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R), flanked by his uncle North Korean politician Jang Song-thaek, leaves a military parade to mark the birth anniversary of the North's late leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, in this photo taken by Kyodo on February 16, 2012.

Reuters/Kyodo, file photo

North Korea says it has executed the uncle of leader Kim Jong-un, Jang Song Thaek, for "attempting to overthrow the state".

Jang was accused of being a traitor by trying to form a revolutionary movement to overthrow the state.

The North Korean Central News Agency says a special military tribunal examined Jang's crimes, and he was executed after admitting to his crimes.

The tribunal described Mr Kim's uncle as "despicable human scum who was worse than a dog who perpetrated cursed acts of treachery".

He "perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him".

The accused is a traitor to the nation for all ages who perpetrated anti-party, counter-revolutionary factional acts in a bid to overthrow the leadership of our party and state and the socialist system....Despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him.

During the court hearing, Jang said he attempted to stage a coup d'etat by mobilising his associates in the military, according to KCNA.

"I attempted to stir up complaints among the people and the military that even as the country's economic situation and people's livelihood are in dire situation, the current regime fails to deal with it," Jang was quoted as saying at the military court.

Earlier this week the North stripped Jang of all posts, accusing him of criminal acts including mismanagement of the state financial system, womanising and alcohol abuse.

Jang was seen as the regent to the young Mr Kim and was previously considered the second most powerful man in the North.

Veteran North Korean observer, Professor Stephan Haggard from the University of California has told Asia Pacific it's likely the execution was directly sanctioned by Kim Jong-un

"This is a very leader-centred system - we have strong evidence Kim Jong-un was elevated very quickly following his father's death," he said.

"All the powers to be rallied around him.

"It's impossible for me to imagine that this wasn't undertaken except at Kim Jong-un's direction."

The United States says it's consulting Asian allies about the reports.

"If confirmed, this is another example of the extreme brutality of the North Korean regime," Patrick Ventrell, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said.

"We are following developments in North Korea closely and consulting with our allies and partners in the region."

On Monday the ruling Workers' Party confirmed that he was relieved of all posts and titles for allegedly building a power base to challenge the leadership of the communist state.

Jang's ousting marks the most significant purge at the top of North Korean leadership since Mr Kim succeeded his late father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011.

The meeting decided to dismiss Mr Jang from all his posts and expel him from the Workers' Party, KCNA said, saying that Mr Kim attended and "guided" the meeting.

Jang was married to Mr Kim's aunt, the daughter of the North's founding leader Kim Il Sung, and was widely considered to be working to ensure his nephew firmly established his grip on power in the past two years.

State TV this week showed photos of Jang being dragged out of his seat at a meeting by two officers, in an extremely rare public humiliation of a figure who was then demonised as a drug-taking womaniser.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has accused Kim Jong-Un of resorting to extreme violence to cement his leadership.

"North Korea is now engaged in a reign of terror while carrying out a massive purge to consolidate the power of Kim Jong-Un," she said.

The Kim family has ruled the North for six decades with an iron fist, regularly purging those showing the slightest sign of dissent. Most are executed or sent to prison camps.

Analysts warn Jang's ouster - the biggest political upheaval since Jong-Un took power - may cause significant instability even in the world's most tightly controlled nation.

South Korean media said on Friday that a man who managed funds for Mr Jang had fled and sought asylum in South Korea.

The aide, who has not been not named, was being protected by South Korean officials in a secret location in China, cable news network YTN and the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper said, citing sources familiar with the matter.